Unbidden
Taking the last swig of his nightcap, Gurdrak settled into his chair. He preferred sleeping in it on meeting nights. As he began to doze, his lips moved slightly and the air around him turned from a warm and cozy to sharp, crystalised, hung heavy with ancient magicks. As his mind slipped from Tolas to the Skein, he felt the spell's power pull him deep into that other realm. "You're late", grinned Habana. Gurdrak sighed and slowly opened his eyes. His chair sat in a dim circle. Dotted around the circle were the means other members had used to reach the meeting. An eclectic mix, regal, gilded beds fit for kings alongside hammocks and furs. Gurdrak looked over at Habana. The halfling's legs were dangling off a large bed. Her wide smile was a light like the glint of coin in this dim room. "Then so are you", he replied, returning his old friend's grin. '' ''"Well they won't notice if I'm gone, that's the whole point", she replied "now come on, before you get us both in trouble". With that, she slipped off the bed and walked towards the source of light in the room, a great door, ajar. Gurdrak and Habana stepped through the crack into the light, muttering the password to satisfy the safeguards: "'We are not led; we lead'". Gurdrak and Habana slipped into the awesome gathering chamber. Habana slipped away as Gurdrak moved towards his position near the centre of the chamber. Beleni nodded to Gurdrak as she stood to begin this evening's discussions. "Members" she began "We are gathered this evening for a solitary subject, one that has been avoided for far too long". Gurdrak could feel eyes drilling into the back of his skull. He snorted lightly. "Despite our best efforts, we have still not determined the fate or location of one of our most esteemed Guardians. The continued absence of Kepeski has weakened our hold on Okarthel immensely. Despite the effort of several houses", Beleni nodded to the delegation of the Draconic Houses, "We are losing control." She paused, letting the weight of her words settle in the minds of the Unbidden. '' ''"I suggest that we send our Foremost Wing to settle in Okarthel, with the goal of re-asserting our control over-" There was a murmur as Gurdrak stood, "Hold on Beleni, the Foremost Wing are already occupied with-" "The Foremost have indulged your personal agenda for long enough, Gurdrak." Beleni counter, flatly. "At this stage we must assume that Kepeski is dead, or does not wish to be found. Any further searches will not involve the resources of the Unbidden." '' ''Gurdrak's words seized in his throat. She was right, of course. He returned to his seat, gesturing apologetically at Belini. Belini continued speaking, explaining her plan and taking questions from other Unbidden. Gurdrak mused quietly, the words flowing numbly around him. He was revived from his musings by Habana, shaking him slightly "Come on Gur, the meeting's over." The two of them left the meeting chamber. In the dim room, members were returning to their beds, then fading slowly out of the Skein. '' ''Gurdrak returned to his chair, crestfallen. Habana looked at him sympathetically. "Listen...I've not been giving a new task, and keeping tabs on the Guilds is pretty dull work. Why don't I take over this search?" Gurdrak looked at Habana, his surprise clear on his face "But Beleni made it quite clear that-" '' ''"Oh she won't know!" interrupted Habana "Besides, no one will miss me if I'm gone", She shrugged. "That's not true", returned Gurdrak, "I would." They smiled at each other. "Please be careful Habana", Gurdrak said as wakefulness seized him from the dim room "I haven't many friends left." The Unbidden are an organisation of highly powerful individuals concerned with the protection of the mortal denizens of Tolas. The Unbidden was formed during the Silence as many individuals realised the gods could not be trusted to protect Tolas. History War in the Silence For more on this topic, see here. The Unbidden, despite their mandate of collecting information, are unsure exactly as to when their organisation came about, every member was invited by someone else and the chain seems to go on forever with no individual or individuals claiming to have founded the group. Invitation was mainly carried out through correspondences, networks of letters and messages being sent across the world from moving from embassies, merchant caravans, sailors to arcane means of communication. Later members began to conduct business inside the Skein, the realm of dreams and errant thoughts. As the war with the exarch known as the Heir truly began, the Unbidden offered their assistance in the background, conducting espionage and trading information behind the scenes in support of True Grostere and the Noble Alliance that had emerged to combat the threat. Through their actions a number of disasters were avoided that few ever even realised were about to occur. Treaty of Manse For more on this topic, see here. Following the War and the signing of the Treaty of Manse by a number of different states in Etan and Vhir, the Unbidden began to split into small factional groupings, most becoming independent, calling themselves Unbidden in name only, those that diverged from the original goals of the organisation are referred to as the Unbound. Overview The Unbidden operate in a number of different ways, with many of its members operating independently, though loyalty to the noble cause of the organisation keeps them united. Cells Some of the Unbidden organise themselves into cells, with veteran members giving tasks to more recent recruits, usually meeting in the Skein to plan operations and discuss tactics, or in the case of lower members communicating through secret messages and call signs. Members of these groups will usually be limited to a single geographical location, operating under a veteran leader for some unified goal, though some of the more powerful members will organise meetings to discuss the general plans for the entire organisation, shifting their focus as needs be. Lone Operatives These are members of the Unbidden that operate independent from a cell and make up the majority of the Unbiddens ranks, with personal ability meaning more than how long you have been a member. Most are members of another organisation, swearing loyalty to both groups or acting as spies for the Unbidden among the ranks of another group. Recruitment Recruitment is carried out by individual invitation, once the member passes whatever test their sponsor sets or might simply be inducted through merit alone, other members of the Unbidden that sponsor knows are informed and the information is spread throughout the organisation. Many members have a mark associated with the Unbidden tattooed on them or as a symbol hidden on their clothing such as a lyre or harp in a U shape. Unbound The Unbound are those members that have diverged from the methods of the Unbidden, openly using their knowledge for their own selfish desires rather than to help the people of the world. These rogue elements are ostracized from the organisation and some cells will often actively hinder the efforts of these individuals. Beliefs # One can never have too much information. # Too much power leads to corruption. # No one should be powerless. Goals To protect the world of Tolas and its people from any and all threats, to prevent the oppression of the weak and the domination of the strong and to bring an end to tyrants. Operate in the shadows when possible, the enemies of the Unbidden include the very gods themselves, so open confrontation is not viable.Category:Organisations Category:Unbidden